Cutting and perforating press



Sept. 13, 1966 P. ACTIS 3,272,051

CUTTING AND PERFORATING PRESS Filed Aug. 13, 1964 INVENTOR PAUL 407/6 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,272,051 CUTTING AND PERFORATING PRESS Paul Actis, Ospedaletti, Italy Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,335 Claims priority, application France, Sept. 5, 1963, 43,970, Patent 1,383,805 3 Claims. (Cl. 83-527) In numerous presses which are suitable for cutting and perforating various materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic material and more particularly skins, the downward movement of the movable arm acting on the tool or tools is automatically stopped when said tool or tools have passed throughout the thickness of the material to be cut or perforated. This purpose is generally reached by positioning the material to be cut on a metal plate connected with one of the terminals of an electric circuit so as to be closed by the tool or tools engaging said plate when the material has been perforated or cut, the closing of said circuit leading to a stoppage of the downward movement of the movable arm.

Independently of the fact that the correct ope-ration of the press depends on a perfect contact between the tool and the plate on which the material to be cut or perforated rests, the actual principle of operation of such presses leads to a risk of damage to the tool when contacting said plate, which latter is also soon damaged in its turn by the tool.

My invention removes said drawback and has for its object a press in which the flexional movement of the upright of the press at the moment of direct engagement between the tool and the plate carrying the material to be cut or perforated, controls the stoppage of the downward movement of the movable arm. Said control may obviously be executed in any suitable manner, whether electric, mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic, a delaying system being advantageously provided so that the pressure exerted by the movable arm on the tool or tools stops only after a predetermined adjustable delay.

In a preferred embodiment of said press, the yielding upright is in contacting relationship through its rear surface with a feeler slidably fitted in a bearing rigid with the frame, while the rear end of said feeler is in its turn in contact with at least one movement amplifying and transmitting lever ensuring the control of a contact-piece forming part of a switch inserted in the electric circuit controlling the operation of the press.

My invention will be readily understood, together with its advantages and other features from the reading of the following description, reference being made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing illustrating, by way of example, in a non-limiting sense, a preferred embodiment of said press. In said drawing.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views respectively in elevational side view and in plan view from above.

As illustrated, 2 designates the frame of the press, 3 the upright, 4 the movable arm, 5 the push button controlling operation of the press and 6 -a time switch. 7 and 8 designate two wear-resisting plates secured respectively to the underside of the movable arm 4 and over the frame 2. 9 designates a block of material to be cut or perforated and resting on the llower wear-resisting plate 7; 10 designates the tool engaging the material 9 and on which the arm 4 is adapted to exert the pressure required for cutting the material 9.

3,272,051 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 According to my invention, the upper surface of the frame 2 carries a guide or bearing 12 inside which is slidingly and freely fitted a feeler 13. The front end of said feeler is in the shape of a fork the tips of which are in contact with the rear surface of the upright 3.

The rear end of the feeler 13 carries a screw 15 engaging a oounternut 16. The head of said screw 15 is in contact with the upper end of a lever 17 pivotally secured around a horizontal axle 18. Said lever includes two arms of different lengths and its lower arm is in contact with one end of a further lever 19 pivotally secured to a horizontal axle 21 and including also two arms of different lengths. The longer lower arm of said lever 19 is in contact with a third lever 22 which is pivotally secured around a horizontal axle 23 and includes again two arms of different lengths. The lower longer arm of said lever 22 carries a contact-piece 24 forming part of a switch 26 inserted in the electric circuit 27 (feeding the press. The levers 17, 19 and 22 form movement-amplifying and transmitting levers inserted between the lever 13 and the contact-piece 24.

The operation of the press is as follows:

When, after depression of the control knob 5, the movable arm 4 sinks and exerts through its plate 8 a sufficient pressure on the tool 10 so that the material 9 may be entirely cut through by the tool, the upright 3 is subjected. through the lever arm constituted by said movable arm 4 to a flexional movement and exerts on the feeler 13 a thrust in the direction of the arrow 28 (FIG. 1). This leads, through the agency of the transmitting and amplifying levers 17, 19 and 22 to a closing of the switch 26 by the contact piece 24 and thereafter with a predetermined delay due to the time switch 6 to a cutting out of the pressure exerted by the arm 4 on the tool 10.

The downward movement of the movable arm 4 being thus stopped as a consequence of a mere flexional movement of the upright 3 instead of being stopped by the electric contact between the tool and the wear-resisting plate 7, the cooperating wear-resisting plate 7 carrying the material to be cut or perforated may be made of any material whatever, for instance a material which is softer than that forming the upper wear-resisting plate 8. The tool therefore is not worn to any substantial extent, since it does not actually engage the wear-resisting plate 7, which latter, on the other hand, is not damaged by the tool.

Obviously, my invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described and illustrated by way of example and it covers, in contradistinction, all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cutting press comprising a frame including a support for the material to be cut and a presser member adapted to be lowered toward the material to be cut to press a cutting tool through the material, the improvement comprising an upright from which said presser member extends laterally, said upright being adapted to bend yieldingly away from the tool upon pressure of the tool on said material, and means responsive to said bending of the upright to stop the lowering of said presser member.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and time-delay means for interposing a time delay between the response of said responsive means and the cessation of lowering of said presser member.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said apparatus being electrically actuated, said responsive means comprising a feeler adapted to be moved by an upper portion of said upright, motion-multiplying means for multiplying the motion of said feeler, and switch means controlled by said motion-multiplying means to interrupt the electrical actuation so as to stop the lowering of said presser member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES fiATENTS Ashworth 83537 Muller et a1. 83541 X Muhlbach 83-S41 X Kraut 83537 X 

1. IN A CUTTING PRESS COMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING A SUPPORT FOR THE MATERIAL TO BE CUT AND A PRESSER MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE LOWERED TOWARD THE MATERIAL TO BE CUT TO PRESS A CUTTING TOOL THROUGH THE MATERIAL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT FROM WHICH SAID PRESSER MEMBER EXTENDS LATERALLY, SAID UPRIGHT BEING ADAPTED TO BEND YIELDINGLY AWAY FROM THE TOOL UPON PRESSURE OF THE TOOL ON SAID MATERIAL, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID BENDING OF THE UPRIGHT TO STOP THE LOWERING OF SAID PRESSER MEMBER. 